Places like Laduree, Mariage Freres and Angelina serve tea, and meals (i.e. sandwiches, omelets, salads, etc.) are available in cafes. A great sit down and eat dinner is unlikely at those hours in any restaurant I know of in Paris. To me the best thing would be to buy a Falafel from L'As au Falaffel on rue, des rossiers, along with some lemonade and eat it at the exquisite Place des Voges, which is nearby. You may think -- who the heck wants a Falafel? But WHAT a Falafel. This too is a wonderful Parisiene experience. I think that all of the department stores i.e. Printemps. Galeries Layfette, Bon Marche have restaurants and eating in their food halls. You can grab a lunch at the restaurant in the Musee d'Orsay and eat surrounded by some of the greatest paintings of the 19th and 20th century.

It looks like the choices are between brasseries and brasseries. Most seem to have lots of ambience and mediocre food. All I care about is food. Suggestions to date have included Lipp, Le Congres, L'Alsace, La Lorraine, Flo, Ballon des Ternes, Terminus Nord, Au Petit Riche, Marty, Mollard, Le Vaudeville, Pied de Cochon, Balzar, and Chez Jenny. Can any one recommend the food at any one of these? Or recommend to stay away?

I would avoid Chez Jenny. Concur with Dodo but would also add Balzar to the "yes" list. Also depends on where you will be. Le Congres has stunning shellfish (as does Terminus Nord) Flo/Vaudeville are high on the decor, Pied de Cochon is quirky but very good, especially if you like pig. And so on....